On
9 March, the University Council of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
passed a development plan submitted by the Rector's office. Thus a
program takes effect that provides entirely new accents for the future
of the 300-year-old institution.

"Artists are researchers, and researchers are artists," says Rector Dr.
Stephan Schmidt-Wulffen. "With our development plan, we provide
conditions so that more artists will be able to work at the interface
of art and science." The Academy has been a university since 1998. But
it is only now that the basis is provided for artistic research and
artistic-scientific theory.

This is reflected in a new third stage in the course of studies in
which students can obtain a doctoral degree. For this purpose,
interdisciplinary colloquia will be established that address central
issues of contemporary culture. They will consider changed notions of
art and science practice, as well as a new understanding of
constructing space. A third focus will be new segments of the public in
the postindustrial knowledge society. Rector Stephan Schmidt-Wulffen
sees a close interrelation between these subjects and finds a new
social position of visual art defined in this three-section approach.

With this ambitious new program, academic education, particularly in
the first semesters, gains great importance. Students will have to be
prepared more intensively for the intellectual challenges they will
have to meet in the course of their studies. According to Rector
Schmidt-Wulffen, this implies a shift from individualistic to
cumulative knowledge. Hence the Academy, as one of the first
German-speaking art schools, will introduce a bachelor curriculum for
artists. As from 2006, students will be taught practical and
theoretical basics in an interdisciplinary manner within the first
three years of study: planning provides for a common introductory year
for artists, stage designers, architects, and teachers. Specialization
will begin with the master programs, of which six are in planning,
aside from architecture and stage design also communication/art
education, media studies, and cultural studies. Schmidt-Wulffen
emphasizes that the issue is not "a small-time copy of university
courses." The Academy thus defines fields of artistic specialization
prompted by developments in art over the past decades: concept art,
documentary tendencies in art photography, or interventionist
practices. Programs will be open between bachelor and master courses,
permitting students to change from art to stage design or from
architecture to critical studies. The Rectorate thus responds to the
fact that only few graduates have become protagonists of the art scene
whereas a majority was successful in other creative professions.

"The image of the artist has changed a lot meanwhile, and we must no be
guided by the traditional art system in our planning," says
Schmidt-Wulffen.

The new program also requires sacrifices: Thus the Rectorate has
decided to reduce art education programs and to close down the
department of textile design - a course of study that is offered by the
University of Applied Arts anyway. Synergies with other Austrian art
schools have hitherto not been fully used, Rector Schmidt-Wulffen
observes. Talks with prospective, also international partners have only
just begun. Although this seminal development plan articulates decisive
milestones of future development, it is not the final word and may
still be revised and elaborated prior to financing negotiations with
the Ministry of Education next year. For it is at the negotiation table
with the Minister that the decision will be made in how far she will
support the ambitious program proposed by the Academy.